Mission: tell your new neighbour how you got here
Depuis, il y a and pendant for time; d'abord, ensuite, puis, enfin to put events in order.
FrenchA2 · Telling storiesAbout 5 min: 2 reading, 3 practiceUpdated
- Say how long something has been going on with depuis + present
- Say how long ago with il y a
- Say how long something lasted with pendant
- Put events in order with d'abord, ensuite, puis, après, enfin
Telling stories: lesson 4 of 4
- A2 · Telling stories
- Mission: tell a friend about your weekend 6 min
- Mission: tell a colleague about your trip 5 min
- Mission: share a childhood memory 5 min
- Mission: tell your new neighbour how you got here 5 min
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Level Level A2 (around the DELF A2 exam). Real French: the "so how long have you lived here?" conversation.
What it is
Your mission: your new neighbour Julien knocks to say hello. « Vous habitez ici depuis combien de temps ? » Tell him how long you've lived here, when you arrived, how long the move took, and what you did first, next and last.
Three little time words that English translates in confusing ways:
| French | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| depuis + present | still going on now | J'habite ici depuis deux ans. I've lived here for two years. |
| il y a + past | how long ago | Je suis arrivé(e) il y a deux ans. I arrived two years ago. |
| pendant + past | how long it lasted (finished) | J'ai cherché un appartement pendant un mois. I looked for a flat for a month. |
Putting events in order: d'abord (first), ensuite / puis (then, next), après (afterwards), enfin (finally).
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
"I've been learning French for a year (and I still am)."
- With depuis, French uses the present for something still going on
- il y a means "ago"
Show answer
J'apprends le français depuis un an.. Still going on → depuis + present.
Why it matters
"How long have you been here?" is one of the first questions anyone asks a newcomer, and English speakers almost always answer with the wrong tense (wrong: j'ai habité ici depuis). Sequence words turn a list of sentences into a story people can follow, in conversation and in the A2 writing task.
Worked example
The doorstep chat with Julien:
- Julien: Bonjour ! Vous habitez ici depuis combien de temps ?
- You: Depuis quatre mois. Je suis arrivé(e) de Manchester il y a quatre mois.
- Julien: Et c'était facile, le déménagement ?
- You: Pas vraiment ! D'abord, j'ai cherché un appartement pendant six semaines. Ensuite, j'ai trouvé ce studio. Puis j'ai acheté des meubles, et enfin j'ai emménagé ici.
Real French: ça fait … que means the same as depuis and is very common in speech: Ça fait trois mois que j'habite ici.
Common mistake
Using the passé composé with depuis for something still true: wrong: J'ai habité à Lyon depuis cinq ans (and I still live there). French uses the present: J'habite à Lyon depuis cinq ans.
And don't confuse il y a (ago) with depuis (since / for, still going on): Je suis arrivé il y a cinq ans = I arrived five years ago.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
"I worked in Paris for two years" (finished: now you work elsewhere).
- This says you still work there
- This says when, not how long
Show answer
J'ai travaillé à Paris pendant deux ans.. A finished period → passé composé + pendant.
Key terms
- depuis
- for / since (still going on: + present)
- il y a
- ago
- pendant
- for, during (a finished period)
- depuis combien de temps ?
- how long (have you … )?
- d'abord, ensuite, puis, après, enfin
- first, next, then, afterwards, finally
- ça fait … que
- for … (spoken, = depuis): ça fait trois mois que j'habite ici
- le déménagement
- the move (house)
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 7 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| depuis | for / since (still going on: + present) |
| il y a | ago |
| pendant | for, during (a finished period) |
| depuis combien de temps ? | how long (have you … )? |
| d'abord, ensuite, puis, après, enfin | first, next, then, afterwards, finally |
| ça fait … que | for … (spoken, = depuis): ça fait trois mois que j'habite ici |
| le déménagement | the move (house) |
Practice
Sort it
depuis, il y a or pendant?
J'habite ici … deux ans (and I still do).
still going onShow answer
depuis. still going on
Je suis arrivé(e) … deux ans.
agoShow answer
il y a. ago
J'ai dormi … huit heures.
a finished periodShow answer
pendant. a finished period
Je connais Julien … janvier.
since January, still trueShow answer
depuis. since January, still true
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
Which word starts a story's first step?
- enfin is "finally"
- ensuite is "next"
Show answer
d'abord. d'abord = first.
« Ça fait dix ans que je joue du piano. » means…
- That would be il y a
- That would be pendant
Show answer
I've been playing the piano for ten years.. ça fait … que = depuis: still going on.
Build the sentence
Put the story in order.
Show answer
D'abord, j'ai trouvé un travail. Ensuite, j'ai cherché un appartement. Enfin, je suis arrivé(e) à Lyon.. d'abord → ensuite → enfin.
Practise speaking
Studyfern has no voice tools of its own. To practise out loud, copy this prompt into a voice-capable AI assistant and talk with it.
Mission role-play. You are Julien, my new French neighbour, saying hello at the door. Speak naturally but clearly, at level A2. Start with « Bonjour ! Vous habitez ici depuis combien de temps ? ». Ask one question at a time using depuis, il y a, pendant and ça fait … que, and ask me to tell the move in order with d'abord, ensuite, puis, enfin. I will make up my answers. After each answer, tell me in English what kind of mistake I made, if any, and let me try again; watch the present tense after depuis. When I have said how long I've lived here, when I arrived, how long something took, and told three steps in order, say « Mission accomplie ! » and give me one tip. Keep every reply under 3 sentences.
Listen too. Listen to native speakers before and after: see the free listening and shadowing links.
Good to know. AI feedback on pronunciation is hit and miss, so check yourself against native recordings. Many assistants turn your speech into text first, so a vowel or liaison you got wrong may be silently “heard” as the right word. Don't share personal details: use a made-up name and town.
New to this? Read Practising speaking with an AI.
In short
- depuis + present: still going on (j'habite ici depuis deux ans).
- il y a + past: ago (je suis arrivé(e) il y a deux ans).
- pendant + past: a finished period (j'ai cherché pendant un mois).
- ça fait … que = depuis, in speech.
- Order: d'abord, ensuite / puis, après, enfin.
Mastery check
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Check yourself
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How do you ask "How long have you lived here?"
Show answer
Vous habitez ici depuis combien de temps ?
Translate: "We left three days ago."
Show answer
Nous sommes partis il y a trois jours (or: On est partis il y a trois jours).
Which tense goes with depuis for something still true?
Show answer
The present.
Further reading
- RFI, Journal en français facile: news reports use depuis and il y a constantly. Note which tense follows each.
- TV5MONDE, Apprendre le français, free A2 exercises on real clips.
Finished? Mark it done to fill in your leaf on the French map.